Around 6:00 a.m., Nicco knocked on my door, on a mission to wake everyone up for breakfast. After a night’s adventure of exploring for crocodiles, we woke up with excitement for our Lamanai River tour. After showering, all of us went to the restaurant for breakfast. We had eggs, ham, toast, pancakes, fruits, orange juice and coffee. What a feast! Just like the lunch that we had yesterday, it was delicious.
After breakfast, we went back to our rooms to get ready for the Lamanai River Tour. At 9:00 a.m. we set out and walked to the boat that would take us to the site. We were joined by a group of tourists and a tour guide from Discovery Expeditions. The captain was in charge of the river tour. On our way to Lamanai, we were met with a crocodile, some adorable birds, the sugar factory, and the Mennonite community of Shipyard. The boat ride was similar to the one we had the night before, except this time we were able to see a lot more of the nature in the area. We were surrounded by mangroves; every now and then we would meet a couple Belizeans on a canoe fishing. The boat ride took like forty-five minutes.
When we arrived at
Lamanai, the captain handed each of us a bottle of water for our tour. We stepped off the boat and hiked the trail leading up to the site. There were several groups of tourists, apart from our group, that were there. At the entrance of the site, there were several gift shops filled with refreshments and Belize souvenirs. Passing the gift shop is a thatched house that serves as a resting or eating area for visitors.
Along the way, the guide, Leroy, stopped and pointed out some plants including the national flower of Belize – the Black Orchid, and the national tree – the Mahogany tree. We continued to follow Leroy until we reached another thatched house. There, we sat for a little presentation by the tour guide. The guide talked about the Maya Civilization and all of their accomplishments and contributions to the modern world.
It was a very interesting presentation. The guide did an excellent job in explaining the history and facts of the Maya Civilization. After the short presentation we were led to the first temple. It wasn’t too high. Instead of climbing it, we took pictures on the steps and in front of the stelae. After the other guests from our group climbed down the ruin, we hiked to the second building on the site.
This was the highest structure there. For this one, stairs had to be built in order for visitors to climb up safely. Leroy explained that someone once fell while climbing the ruin; and so, stairs had to be built on the side of the structure. Nonetheless, getting up the stairs was a long and tiring task. It was very steep and I felt my back aching while halfway up. Finally, all of us managed to reach the top. At the top, we admired the view and took some pictures before climbing down.
From there, we visited the last structure, which was not as high as the last one, but it was still tall. Only Derrick and I climbed that one. Jasmine and Nicco were already tired. After the second climb, we headed towards the thatched house near the gift shops and waited for everyone else to come. Part of our group were checking the items at the gift shops while others were using the restroom.
At 1:30 p.m. we headed towards the boat. As we got in, the captain gave each one of us a fruit salad. It was the bomb…at least for Derrick. It was just watermelon. They were refreshing and sweet – a nice snack after all that climbing. We departed the site and headed back to the hotel. Similar to our ride to the site, the ride back was also forty-five minutes.
As soon as we got back to the hotel, we had lunch. We were served curry chicken, white rice, fried plantain, and salad. There was also pudding for dessert. The food was heavenly! Compliments to the chef and the staff in the kitchen. We ate everything and headed to our rooms to prepare to leave. We packed all our belongings, looked out the balcony one last time, and walked towards the entrance of the resort. From there, we waited for the bus and headed back home.
The Belizing Team would like to extend much gratitude to Lamanai Landings Hotel & Marina and Ms. Roanni for their invitation and kind hospitality. The trip was definitely worthwhile. Lamanai Landings Hotel & Marina is a charming resort that accommodates all visitors with great service, from the accommodations to the food. This is definitely a place to go Belizing with. What are you waiting for? Adventure awaits!